Journaling for beginners

Want to get into journaling, but not sure where to start? Today we’re talking about how to journal as a beginner.

OK, so journaling – where to start? It might sound obvious, but journaling is all about you. So the first thing you need to decide is what you want to get out of journaling. For a lot of people, journaling is a way to save memories of their lives. You can do this is a few ways:

Brain Dump

The first way? Use your journal as a brain dump. Write out what’s been happening in your life and talk about your thoughts and feelings. Writing helps you process your emotions and reflect on your priorities. Getting your anxieties, hopes, and dreams onto paper (or virtual paper), allows you analyze your life. It’s also really interesting to look back on in the future – you can see who you were and how you felt about things at different times in your life.

Jot Down Events

Another way to journal is to simply write down what happened that day or week, without diving into how you feel. This type of journal is a great overview of the details of your life. Flipping back through will help you remember which year you spent the summer at the lake (and how the weather was, what you ate, who was there.)

Both types of journaling will help you memorialize keys moments of your life: details of your graduation ceremony, your wedding day, first impressions of a new job – it’s like your personal autobiography.

Remember, your journal is whatever you want it to be. Oldschool paper journaling is awesome, but digital journaling allows you to have mobile access, password protection, and easy photo imports. (Oh, and if you have crazy chicken scratch handwriting, typing is your new best friend.) Zinnia is a wonderful option for digital journaling because it’s a truly customizable app with tons of gorgeous artwork and fun tools.

A couple more beginner tips:

  1. Try journal prompts. If you aren’t sure what to write, prompts can give you the boost you need.
  2. Journal consistently. Pick a time of day, set an alarm, and use a tracker for motivation.
  3. You don’t have to go word crazy. If you don’t love writing, jot out some bullet points and add images.
  4. Find your groove. Be as fancy flashy or as Spartan as you want. This is for you.

We hope you enjoy journaling – remember, it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become a habit. Be consistent and enjoy the process!

Happy journaling!